Defense Department Report Finds Defense Secretary Placed Military Personnel in Danger with Signal Conversation.
A long-awaited Pentagon report has determined that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth breached official protocols by sharing classified intelligence in a Signal messaging chat, according to a source familiar with the report.
Particulars of the Event
The chat group in question included details about a scheduled airstrike in Yemen targeting Houthi militants. This discussion came to light after a journalist for the Atlantic was included as a participant.
Other officials in the chat reportedly included Senator JD Vance, CIA director John Ratcliffe, and former security advisor Mike Waltz. The report did not examine the conduct of Hegseth, as the other officials are not employed at the Pentagon.
Signal is a commercially offered communication application that was not authorized for handling sensitive material.
Potential Risk to Forces
The inspector general's report found that the information shared by Hegseth was classified and could have endangered the lives of US troops if it had been obtained by a hostile nation.
However, the report also noted that Hegseth possessed the authority to downgrade the material he shared, though it was unclear whether he actually exercised that authority.
Hegseth's Reaction
The source said that Hegseth declined an interview by the inspector general. Instead, he submitted a brief written statement.
In his statement, Hegseth asserted he only disclosed information that would not have risked lives or jeopardized the operation. He added that he had the right to declassify material and considered the investigation to be partisan.
Future Actions
The completed report has been provided to lawmakers. An unclassified version is expected to be released later this week.
